Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Sanctuary is the colloquial name given to the alternate-Earth dimension Earth-D-Self-7(extinct) where heroine Fleur de Joie keeps her headquarters. A formerly populated Earth, a global climate disaster caused by human mismanagement and war wiped out the population and rendered the surface only marginally inhabitable. Fleur de Joie is currently in the process of rehabilitating the surface, starting with the approximate location of Freedom City and working her way out. Sanctuary can be reached by anyone with the power to travel dimensionally to alternate Earths.

Geography of Sanctuary

The rehabilitated and reclaimed land of Sanctuary where the majority of action takes place consists of a badge-shaped pentagon about fifty miles across at its widest point, stretching from the outskirts of Philadelphia to Bayville, NJ at the east and west, then Upper Freehold and the southern border of Wharton Forest at the North and South. <BR><BR>

The original and most-developed portion of Sanctuary began as a rough circle in the western suburbs of Freedom City and expanded to a rectangular area comprising most of what was Wharton State Forest. This area contains most of Sanctuary's landmarks and the majority of its inhabitants. Fleur's personal home is on the southeastern side of the rectangle, in what used to be the western edge of urban Freedom City. Slightly to the northwest is the holding area she created for refugees from Prime who might be transported over during a crisis. A few miles north of Fleur's home is Beedom City, the massive hive where the giant bees have made their home. The northernmost corner of the rectangle holds the village where the people native to Sanctuary now live under the protection and with the assistance of Fleur and her friends.<BR> <BR>

Outside the original boundaries of Sanctuary lie large tracts of purpose-developed land. To the northwest is a large rectangular plot rehabilitated for farmland and food production. The monastery founded by Gabriel is located to the western side of this plot, while the village butts up against the southeastern edge. The agricultural plot is not fully utilized, but is dotted with fields, pastures and orchards that provide food and education for the population. Off to the northeast and north of the original plot are the Bee Meadows, a very large open area given over to meadows and massive, specially created flowers for the giant bees. The bees can often be seen roaming for miles over the meadows as they harvest nectar. The Bee Meadows are also a frequent home of Gaian Knights movable floating castle. <BR><BR>

South and East of Freedom City, Sanctuary stops and ruins take over once more. The shoreline and areas near it have proven resistant to rehabilitation due to the heavily polluted ocean, and anything north or east of the heavily-polluted Wading River is still in ruins. The damage, most likely from a large concussive superweapon, that leveled downtown Freedom City also sent part of Bayview into the bay, forming a partial earth dam that both choked and protected the South River. The river still exists, albeit in greatly reduced form, and had proven responsive to Fleur's cleanup efforts. Streams flowing from it provide the water to the bee colony and to Fleur's home base. In a similar way, the damaged ruins of Philadelphia to the northwest have slowed Fleur's efforts to further expand her cleanup work. <BR><BR>

Locations in Sanctuary

Fleur's Home

Fleur de Joie's home base sits in the middle of Midtown, corresponding exactly with the location of Stesha Madison's apartment on Earth Prime. It is a single-story cottage-like dwelling made almost entirely of plants, save for interior features and crystalline windows created for her by Supercape. The cottage sits in the middle of what appears to be a clearing in the middle of old growth forest, though all of it was created by her in the past eighteen months. Other plant buildings, mostly early attempts at the cottage, dot the clearing as well and are used mainly for storage. The buildings are connected by a path of grass, which becomes a path of crushed white gravel edged with seashells as one approaches the neatly-landscaped cottage. Behind the cottage sits a small shed with a tall metal tripod rising above it. The top of the tripod holds a windmill and solar panels, the shed holds the generator that powers Fleur's home and the nearby civilian holding area.

Inside, the cottage is cozy and homey, though far from large. The main room is both living room and kitchen, with a kitchenette counter along one wall containing an improvised sink, a microwave, a coffee maker, and a mini-refrigerator. A small kitchen table sits against the adjacent wall, typically set with two chairs, though a brand-new high chair already sits in the corner awaiting use. Much of the room is taken up by a comfortable sitting area in the center of the room, a comfortable sofa flanked by two recliners, all gathered around a coffee table. In the winter, a space heater sits on the fourth side of the table, where a fireplace would be in a different cottage. The composition of the house is very apparent, with natural grass floors and walls that change color with the season.

At the back of the main room, a hallway leads into the rest of the home. A small bathroom contains fixtures designed for low-impact wilderness living, while opposite that is the master bedroom, a very simple affair with a queen-size bed,a dresser, a television with DVD player (that only plays DVDs, of course), and a bedside table with lamp. A simple wooden cradle beside the bed is the most recent addition to the room. The newest room in the house, freshly grown-in next to the bathroom, is the furnished nursery at the back of the house. The entire house is the size of a medium-sized apartment.

Civilian Holding Area

The Civilian Holding Area is designed to facilitate Fleur de Joie's ability to remove civilians from dangerous situations on Prime without having to bring them to her home or leave them wandering unescorted on Sanctuary. Roughly the size of a football field and bounded on all sides by twelve-foot-high plant matter walls, the most striking feature of the holding area is its faceted clear crystalline roof. Designed and created by Supercape, the roof shines like a jewel and allows sun into the holding area while keeping off the rain. Inside the holding area, Fleur has placed signs welcoming displaced civilians and instructing them to wait to be returned to Prime. She's also stocked emergency food and medical supplies, in case the rescued civilians are injured or need to spend more than a few hours in holding. The holding area sits approximately a half mile from Fleur's home, in what would be the Theatre District on Prime.

Beedom City

Designation

The official designation for Sanctuary is Earth D-Self-7(extinct). The designation, which uses Freedom League Standard Notation, indicates the planet's status:'Earth:' This planet is a parallel Earth, and English is or was a dominant language.'D:' This planet's environment is unpleasant and unhealthy, but capable of supporting life.'Self:' This planet is a victim of self-inflicted disaster, not natural disaster or attack'7:' This universe is the seventh the League has explored with similar features'Extinct:' This parallel Earth once harbored a Primelike population, but the entire population has since been wiped out.